Safe Air Fresheners

[workingal]

I use air fresheners in my very small home quite often due to doggie odors, cooking, that sort of thing. I generally use febreeze on the fabrics or sometimes the aerosol for the air. What are some safe alternatives? We do keep the windows open when possible, but with the Florida heat that's not going to be an option soon. Thanks.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Stay away from the aerosols. Those are very dangerous.

Febreeze is safe to use around birds, as long as it's not used around birds. Meaning you can definitely use it in the house and they can be on the sprayed furniture later, just don't spray it BY the birds.

Baking soda works well for absorbing some odors and that is safe to have around them. Other than that I don't know if there are any bird safe fresheners. Just about anything that gives off a smell will be dangerous for birds - no jokes about how dangerous I must be

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Just to put it in perspective most people know about the canaries they would bring into the mines. They didn't ask the birds to tell them when they smelled something, they just watched to see if the birds were still alive. The birds would drop dead long before a person could even smell anything - so if you can smell it .... do the math.

Admittedly the fumes being dealt with in the mines are more toxic than (some) air-fresheners, but to reach a sufficient threshold to be smelled by us lazy-nosed humans your bird would have to be swimming in it. So my rule of thumb: if you wouldn't eat the odor producing substance, then don't have it around a bird.

Fresh fruit can smell good, and thats safe to have around birds.

 

[asulli]

I have found that if a put vinegar in small bowls around the house it actually absorbs bad ordor. I was a plug-in, oil burning, spray all the time around the house junky before I become a slave to my Alexandrine!

 

[workingal]

Our quaker is still with the breeder, so he hasn't been around of the air fresheners yet. I wanted to find a safe alternative. Thanks to all those who replied for giving me some good ideas and things to think about.

 

[Jez]

Try natural scents.
You can probably buy (if not, make) some kind of all natural fruit or whatever scented thing.

If not, try putting Lemon juice (or whatever else) with safe preservitives for a lemoney scent.
Google how to preserve a scent; I think you add sodium hexametaphosphate, but I'm not sure.
I'm guessing any kind of citrus fruit (orange, lemon, lime...etc) would be easiest to make a scent of.

And,
I'd love to hear about your Quaker in the future, I was thinking of getting one. We have a bunch of wild ones here as well (The Brooklyn Parrots)!

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Vanilla and/or Cinnamon could work, those are common scents in fresheners but you can get them on their own. Cinnamon sticks can sit in a jar, or pure vanilla in a small cup.

 

[Jez]

Vanilla and/or Cinnamon could work, those are common scents in fresheners but you can get them on their own. Cinnamon sticks can sit in a jar, or pure vanilla in a small cup.

Good idea! That should be easier too.

 

[AlaskanRose]

What about the natural citrus sprays? Shouldn't those be safe?

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I've never used the citrus sprays. A lot of the adds say they're "100% natural, therefore its safe!" That is an erroneous statement all around. It may be 100% natural, and it may be 100% safe, but the fact that it is natural certainly doesn't mean that it is safe.

Compare to almond flavor: Artificial almond flavor is made in a lab so it contains only the desired benzaldehyde chemical and nothing else. "Natural" almond flavor is usually extracted from peach pits and contains, in addition to the almond-like flavor, a chemical that breaks down to form cyanide during digestion. The levels are low, so it is not quite as horrible as it sounds, but artificial almond flavor is much safer for people than "natural" almond flavor.

Anyhow, my "natural = safe" fallacy pet peeve aside those citrus sprays may be good. But I'd check with a vet before using them. One of these products says on its label that it is a skin irritant and gives directions for treating if you get it on your skin... so I would definitely not spray it around a bird, but much like febreeze, if the bird isn't in the room at the time the citrus spray looks like a good choice.